Construction systems using steel members instead of traditional wood members tend to be preferred for many building applications throughout the world. There are many different reasons why this is so. The steel members tend to be lighter than their wood counterparts, thus reducing the cost of shipping the members. Further, the structures built from the steel members will not be as heavy, thus reducing some loading concerns.
Steel members are also stronger than their wood counterparts. Thus, a smaller steel member can be used to replace a larger wood member, thus reducing the size of the support structure. Additionally, structures that would not be possible to build with wood members can be built with steel members, because the steel members have the strength sufficient for the design. In addition, steel members are available in virtually any length required, whereas there is a limit to the length of the wood members available. This also allows greater freedom in design when using steel members than that allowed by wood members.
In many areas of the world, steel members are more readily available than wood members, due to the scarcity of wood in those areas, and other factors. This and other factors tends to make the steel members less expensive than comparable wood members. Steel members may also be more durable and last longer than wood members, due to steel's resistance to things such as infestation and rot. Steel may also be more resistant to other environmental factors, which may also lengthen the useful life of a structure constructed with steel members. Further, steel construction systems can typically be assembled in less time than that required for wood member construction. In addition, less training is often required to assemble steel members into a frame, than is required to assemble wood members into a comparable frame.
Unfortunately, steel construction systems typically require a great number of different parts, including members and connectors. This is due to the large number of different configurations which are desired. Thus, steel construction systems typically require many different parts, each specifically adapted to a specific structure design and configuration.
What is needed therefore, is a construction system that requires relatively fewer parts, yet is adaptable to different structure designs and configurations. Further, such a system is needed which further simplifies the task of properly assembling the steel members into the frame.